


Here We Are

by Anne_Nae



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series), Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Beast Boy/Raven - Freeform, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Help, Insanity, Intense, Teen Titans - Freeform, bbrea
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-01-20 00:29:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12421329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anne_Nae/pseuds/Anne_Nae
Summary: It's been 8 years since the Teen Titans split up. Robin, Cyborg, and Starfire left to join the Justice League, and Raven opted to live as normal of a life as she could. As for Beast Boy, well…. He'd gone off the radar years ago.





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> I do NOT own the Teen Titans or any DC characters used in this fanfiction. All credit goes where it is due.

     October brought chilly weather and wintry breezes. Raven had always hated the cold because she always found it hard to warm up. This particularly freezing day, she found herself in her apartment huddled up in fluffy blankets, reading an unreasonably thick book, and curling her fingers around a heated cup of herbal tea. The sun had just begun to lower behind the buildings, though the faint noise outside of busy people continued stronger than ever. As her eyes scanned the words before her, she began to realize that she had been rereading the same sentence about a dozen times. Her mind had been wandering all day, distracting her from her work, from her studies, and, apparently, from leisure reading. She honestly didn't even know what kept her from focusing on anything. It was.. concerning.

Suddenly, her phone began to vibrate intensely from across the room. In a panic she spilled her tea across her lap as she struggled to break free from the blankets.

"Seriously?!" She chided herself as she stood and slid the book on the coffee table. As she approached the table to silence her phone, she caught a glimpse of who was contacting her. She paused, then picked up the phone to examine the number further.

"But…Why? What do they want? What could they possibly need from me?" She whispered to herself while hovering her thumb over the answer button. It was crazy, unbelievable really. They hadn't requested any service from her since the Teen Titans disband all those years ago. They being the Justice League. When all of her friends, well, most of her friends, joined them, she didn't want anything to do with it. Maybe it was because she felt inadequate, though she'd never admit it.

With slight hesitation, she brought the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" She sheepishly asked.

"This is Rachel Roth, am I correct?" An unknown voice responded.

"Yes, yes it is. What is the purpose of this call?"

"I know you have been off duty for some time now, but we need your help."

She hesitated to answer, her lips parted ready to respond, but she couldn't think of what to say.

"It's a relatively small case, I promise it won't be too involving." The voice finally spoke.

"Why am I needed? Aren't there others you can ask to do it?" She questioned in a near snarky tone.

"Well yes, normally there are. However, many of the people we would ask to do this are, well let's just say, preoccupied." The voice answered. It was followed by silence.

With a heavy sigh, Raven respond, "Fine. What is it?"

"A location near you has reported several cases of missing people and corner stores that have been raided. We've known about this for awhile, and left it alone thinking it was something that the police were capable of taking care of it themselves. However, it has been going on for almost an entire year now, and the local police have been completely baffled as to who or what might be doing this. That is, however, until a couple days ago. A local side store was found raided, as expected. But inside, at least twenty people were found dead. And we say at least because they were so mutilated, knowing how many bodies were there would be impossible. Not only were these people completely mauled and disjointed, but they were all the people who had gone missing in the past. Bloody footprints resembling those of a giant wolf were discovered leading out the back of the store where the one responsible is presumed to have made their escape."

She began to feel nauseous and faint as she leaned on the table to gain stability. How could they put her on a case like this?! Sure she had seen her share of blood and guts, and had to hunt down the occasional psychopath who was on a killing spree. But when she left the Titans, she left her superhero duty behind her, as well. Or, at least she tried. Too much of her past had been evil, filled with murder and death. She had left so she could get away from all of that. She wanted to live a life as close to normal as possible. But now, they were trying to drag her into it all over again. But could she really say no?

"Will you be willing to investigate?" The voice asked clearly, breaking her from her train of thought.

"I-I….." Raven started. She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Yes, I will investigate." She finally respond. _Why did I say that?!_

"Excellent. I will send you the information immediately. Report anything important back to us. If this turns out to be a simpler problem than expected, we will drop you from the case." The voice stated. She hated how they say "if it's important". It's like unless it involves super humans or threat of world domination, it wasn't worth their time. It made her sick.

"Good luck, Rachel Roth." was the last thing the unknown voice said before hanging up. She couldn't believe it. Why did she accept? _What was she thinking?!_ It was too late now. She accepted, and now she had to do it.

"One last mission I suppose." She sighed placing her phone face-first on the table. She still felt sick, but went to grab her suit and cloak that she hadn't touched in what seemed like an eternity.

"One last mission…."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this marks the start of my first fanfiction! I've always loved writing, but I've never posted any of it. So, this is very new to me. I also have quite the obsession with the BBrae ship. So here I am.  
> If you want me to continue this story, please let me know! (I have a lot planned that I'm excited to write about.) Thank you! <3


	2. The Mission

The sun had almost completely gone down by the time Raven made it to her destination. She'd been informed right before venturing out that she was to meet with a police officer only a few blocks away from the incident. Apparently, this specific officer had worked closely with the Justice League before, and knew more about the case then the local forces.  
  
The building she'd reached was a three story brick building that looked rather old. It was sandwiched between two much larger buildings, making it appear incredibly small. She still couldn't shake the nausea she had been feeling since the phone call, and it only became worse as she entered the structure.  
  
"Miss Raven?" A deep voice uttered from beside her. Raven jumped and whirled around. Two of the three lightbulbs that illuminated the room exploded in unison.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." The voice continued. A large figure slowly walked from the shadows with it's hands outstretched in a passive manner. Once far enough into the light, Raven could now see the face of a large man who looked like he was in his mid 20s. His brown hair was slicked back and he wore a pair of glasses. " _God he's fit. I wonder what he looks like under that suit…._ " Raven thought to herself before quickly shaking the thought away.  
  
"Are you the officer?" Raven finally asked, a bit of shock still present in her voice.  
  
"Yes, I am. Call me Travis. I've just recently been made head of this investigation, and I'm pleased to be able to work with the Justice League again." He stated.  
  
"Well I'm sorry to inform you, but I'm not part of the Justice League." She retorted with a scowl.  
  
"Oh, well no matter. I've heard of your amazing power, and I'm still very eager to work with you, Miss Roth." He replied with a smirk.  
  
She then lifted an eyebrow and crossed her arms. Taking the hint that she was unamused, Travis turned and kneeled before a briefcase that had been placed on the floor. He flipped it open to reveal stacks of confidential paperwork.  
  
"This is all we know about this case, and as of recently, a new component has been added." He informed as he flipped through the papers until he came across the appropriate one. He stood and handed it to her. She scanned it, finding different places the police force had searched, the missing people, and suspects that had been proven innocent.  
  
"This is already common knowledge, officer." Raven remarked. Just as she said that, Travis grabbed the paper and flipped it over, handing it back to her. The other side revealed a couple blurry pictures from the side store itself. The first was of the store the second the thing of interest broke in. It looked like…. a huge werewolf? Still tossing the word around in her mind, she looked at the second picture. The bodies were there now. The monster was in the process of shredding a man to pieces. Whether the man was still alive while being mutilated could not be known from this picture alone.  
  
The nausea hit Raven like a truck. Her knees buckled as she quickly grabbed the wall for support.  
  
"Are you alright?" Travis questioned as he quickly grabbed her other arm for support.  
  
"Y-yeah, I'm ok…. I'm ok." She breathed, her eyes downcast and her body shaking. She had no clue why the gore was effecting her like it was. She'd never had this issue before. Maybe it was because she hadn't had to see it in such a long time? Whatever it was, Raven mentally slapped herself, forcing herself back to reality.  
  
Standing up, she quickly added, "I'm sorry. I-I've been dehydrated, that's all."  
  
"We can talk more tomorrow if you'd prefer? It'll give you time to think about it." Travis suggested as he returned the paper to it's spot with the other pages.  
  
"No no, I'm fine. I'd rather just get this over with." Raven said in almost a cold manner. The officer replied with a concerned look as he grabbed the briefcase.  
  
"If you insist." He stated quietly. "The footprints only trailed for a little ways before disappearing. However, they were heading in the direction of an abandoned factory right outside town. If this beast really does exist, we believe it may be living there." He continued, scanning Raven's face as he spoke. She only replied by looking at the ground.  
  
"Fine, I'll go check it out." She responded as she made her way to the door.  
  
"Wait! I would advise you to wait until tomorrow, when you can properly scan the building in the day and then, if necessary, return later. We'll also have reinforcements just in case things get out of hand." He advised. Raven had stopped with her hand on the door, and she stood there in silence before nodding in agreement. Once they both exited the building, he gave her his direct contact information as well as suggesting lots of rest and drinking plenty of water. As they parted, Raven quickly turned into the alleyway beside the meeting spot.  
  
"There is no way I will let this drag on any longer than necessary." She whispered to herself as she tightened her cloak around her. She was going to finish this mission as fast as possible and the only way to do that was to go there immediately. Besides, it was currently dark, and what better time to catch a werewolf than during the night?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's chapter 2! I wasn't planning on releasing it until later, but I thought it would be good to go ahead and start getting into the story. And I do plan on making future chapters much longer.  
> Kudos and comments are always incredibly appreciated!


	3. The Night

She had gone way around the store where the crime had been committed. She couldn't bear being near that place. If it could cripple her with simple pictures, how would she react if she saw it in person? She didn't even want to think about it. Raven was now cautiously making her way out of town towards the abandoned factory.  
  
"This is ridiculous. I shouldn't even be involved in this." She muttered quietly to herself as she went. The October air was freezing, and she hugged her cloak as close as possible. This unfortunately didn't do much as she found herself shivering horribly.  
  
The crescent moon was floating high in the clear night sky as bright stars danced around it. She couldn't help but notice that the further from the city she went, the more beautiful the stars were. Admiring the sky temporarily eased her nauseous stomach, but it did nothing to help with her shivering.  
  
It also seemed like she'd been walking for hours. She would've flown, but she didn't want to use her powers considering she'd been off all day.  
  
It was scary, really. She hadn't been able to focus like usual for the past few months, but she dismissed it thinking it was just the heavy work load getting to her. However, the past couple of days had been much worse.

Not only had she not been able to concentrate on any of her work, she also couldn't focus on things she did for fun. And to add to it, she'd been feeling nauseous since the phone-call that morning. Was she possibly getting sick?  
  
In a split second, Raven's internal conflict was forgotten as she misstepped and slid down a hill she hadn't noticed prior.  
  
"Agh!" She spat as she sat up clutching her now bleeding leg. "The hell is wrong with me?! How did I miss this fricking huge hill?!" She cursed at herself. After a moment of silent inspection of her new injury, she suddenly realized where she'd landed.

A huge hole rest staring back at her from the side of a towering cement structure. The inside of the building was completely dark spare for a couple holes in the roof allowing in only the slightest rays of moonlight to enter. The remains of old machinery lay barley noticeable in the unkept grass beside her. However, the thing that caught her attention the most were the huge claw marks etched on the sides of the hole.  
  
_Azar help me._  
  
Before Raven could even begin to stand, a horrid wave of nausea hit her like a truck. She buckled over gripping her stomach.  
  
_The hell?!_  
  
It wasn't the occasional hangover type of sick, this was much worse. And for some reason, it felt horribly familiar. So familiar in fact, that within only a matter of seconds, Raven was able to decipher what was causing it.  
  
It was someone's emotions.  
  
But not normal emotions that she would encounter in everyday life, nor the emotions she would experience when fighting the average villain. These emotions were dreadful and nauseating. They were much stronger than she'd ever felt. Whatever it was, it was emitting strong hate and anger but also intense sadness and fear. However, the most puzzling emotions that intensified the nausea were disgust and guilt.  
  
The weirdest part was that it was repulsed by _itself_. Never on any mission had Raven ever been faced with such powerfully emitted emotions, emotions that were strong enough to immobilize her like this.  
  
"Argh!" She hissed through her clenched teeth. At this point, her forehead pressed against the ground as she squeezed her stomach in hopes of some relief. When she'd thought she was going to pass out, the feelings abruptly became quieter. Suddenly being released from the emotions, Raven was finally able to sit up.  
  
"W-what-" She was cut off by a piercing howl coming from the interior of the structure before her. Without a second thought, Raven sprung to her feet, raising her hands in preparation for an attack. Her eyes began to glow as her injured leg quivered bellow her.  
  
Azar help whatever monster steps out of that hole.  
  
A few moments of silence followed before the bushes behind her rustled. She quickly flipped around as dark energy incased her hands. Her breath became feeble as her hands began to shake. It was going to be one hell of a fight if she couldn't even control herself.  
  
Without warning, a huge paw flew from the bushes striking Raven straight in the side flipping her into the wall behind her. Another horrid roar filled the night sky as a large wolf-like figure rose from the bushes. By the time Raven recovered from the blow, the monster was lunging straight at her.  
  
"Azarath, Metrion, Zin-" She was cut off mid chant as the creature bit the neck of her cloak, flipping her to the ground. She cried out in pain as she struggled to sit up. As she looked up, the beast towered over her, blood and drool dripping from it's jaws. It's eyes were greenish-amber slits, it's ears laid flat against it's skull. But the weirdest feature the werwolf-like creature possessed was that it's pelt was an intense forest green color. A color that hung very vividly in Raven's head for some reason.  
  
Before she could linger on the thought any longer, the nausea came back full force. Her vision began to blur as she squinted her eyes in hopes to clear it. She sloppily crossed her arms over her head in defense, but they became to weak to hold up any longer. The last thing she felt was the heated breath of the monster against her face, and then everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, chapter three!  
> This is actually only half the length it was originally, but I split it because I realized it would be way too long. I got a little excited getting into the plot. xD  
> Anyways, kudos and comments are always super amazing. I hope you enjoy! <3


	4. The Questions

_It hurts. Oh Azar it hurts._  
  
It felt like needles were being stabbed into her forehead. When she tried opening her eyes, her head throbbed even more. Because of this, she opted to remain still until she could properly register everything.  
  
After giving herself a moment to wake up, she slowly opened her eyes to reveal almost complete darkness surrounding her. As terrifying as it was to wake up to, she also greatly appreciated it due to her pounding headache.  
  
_What the hell happened?_  
  
She slowly sat up, furrowing her brows as she massaged her temples. Her memories were a horrible blur, and this killer headache wasn't helping her remember anything. However, with a quick glance at the surroundings, she suddenly remembered where she was.  
  
A couple beams of moonlight made old boxes and rusted machinery barely visible around her. She also quickly noted that she was sitting on an old, torn up blanket. The leg she'd injured falling was wrapped in what appeared to be a tattered shirt, and her side had been covered in a similar material.  
  
Her breath hitched as all of the memories from earlier flooded back. The factory, the emotions, and the giant werewolf. The giant _green_ werewolf.  
  
But just as she started to regain her memories, a loud crash came echoing from the other side of the boxes she was resting by. Raven immediately jumped to her feet, which unfortunately caused her headache to intensify.  
  
Another crash filled the silence. Without hesitation, Raven quickly made her way to the the hole leading out. However, this proved to be a very difficult task as her head began to spin the moment she started walking. During her quick escape to the exit, she collided with several boxes and nearly sliced her leg open on an old rake. If that creature was still in there, it was a miracle it didn't come chasing after her with all the noise she made.  
  
Once a reasonable distance away, she carefully leaned against a tree for support as she began to summon a portal. Her headache increased nearly tenfold as she stepped through the doorway she'd created. Azar, she desperately needed to lie down before she blacked out again.  
  
___________________________________  
  
He'd been disparately trying to get ahold of her for nearly two hours. He rung her cell and even searched her apartment. They'd just finished checking the crime scene when he realized where she must've gone.  
  
"I need a few people from the team to come with me immediately." Travis demanded as he began to march into the darkness behind the store.  
  
"Sir, where to?" An officer questioned as he quickened his pace to match Travis'.  
  
"The factory in question. I need at least ten men to come with us. Make sure they're armed."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"I'll meet you all there. If what I think could be there really is, there's no time to waste." Travis declared while quickening his pace.  
  
Just as the final words slipped from his lips, a black vortex appeared directly in front of them. The pale sorceress herself exited it, stumbling to the ground completely unconscious. In an instant, Travis found himself cradling her head in his arms as he examined her various wounds.  
  
"Go get help!" He commanded the remaining officer. As he raced for help, Travis carefully removed the bandages from Raven's side to get a better look at the damage.  
  
Claw marks. Huge claw marks blemished her right side. The bleeding seemed to have stopped, probably due to her bodies' naturally fast healing.  
  
"What the hell?!" He whispered to himself in shock. Were his concerns correct? Was there really a werewolf living in that factory? He was angry and ready to go finish the beast off once and for all. But he was also terrified. If it managed to inflict this much damage to a powerful sorceress who'd had countless battles with unbelievable monsters, how would they be able to stop it?  
  
The question hung heavily in his mind as he carefully cradled her in his arms in preparation to make his way to the ambulance that just arrived. Whatever this beast was, it was going to pay dearly.  
  
___________________________________  
  
The sound of beeping slowly became more apparent as Raven began to come to. Mumbling could be heard as she steadily opened her eyes.  
  
"Ah, Miss Roth. Thank goodness you're alright." A man in white proclaimed as he approached the bedside. "The gashes on your side drained you of a lot of blood. If it weren't for your incredible healing abilities, you may not have made it long enough to be helped."  
  
She creased her brows and displayed a confused expression as she registered what was happening.  
  
"Excuse me Dr. Stewart, may we have a moment alone please?" A voice asked from corner of the room.  
  
"Of course, Officer Travis. Let me know if you two need anything." The doctor stated as he exited the room.  
  
Raven carefully sat up and scanned the room before resting her eyes on the officer himself. At this point, he had made his way to the side of her hospital bed.  
  
"Miss Roth, would you mind telling me what happened?" He asked, crossing his arms like a disappointed parent.  
  
"It was nothing. Look, I'm sorry I didn't inform you of my plans, and I appreciate your help. However, I would rather not talk about the events that took place." She retorted as she rose to her feet.  
  
"Miss Roth-"  
  
"Excuse me officer" she interrupted, "but I would like nothing more to do with this case. Now please, leave me be." Raven coldly demanded. She placed her hand on the doorknob just as Travis grabbed her arm.  
  
"Raven, wait. If you want to be dropped from the case, I won't try to change your mind. But please tell me what happened. I need to know what we're up against." He pleaded.  
  
There was a small moment of silence before Raven spoke again, "I will discuss this with you later. I need to… I need to clear my head first." She then quickly left the room without another word.  
  
Needing to clear her head was an understatement. Her thoughts were _chaos._ If she'd stayed there and discussed it, she might've blown everything up. It was necessary for her to reflect on what happened alone. She needed to figure out why she wasn't killed, but most importantly, she needed to figure out why that beast looked so familiar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's chapter four!  
> The next chapter will really start getting into the plot. I'm super excited!  
> Again, all kudos and comments are greatly appreciated. (Also, let me know things you like and don't like about the way I write. This is the first time I've ever shared my work with anyone, so I'd love to get feedback on what I could do to improve my writing.)  
> Hope you enjoy this chapter!


	5. The Moments

**_ -Flashback- _ **

  
Fog covered the city and everyone seemed to have taken refuge in the warmth of the buildings. Well, most everyone. It was cold, really cold, but for some reason Garfield Mark Logan found himself walking aimlessly along the uninhabited streets. He hugged his coat closer to his emerald skin every time a breeze picked up.  
  
He didn't really have a reason to be out, but he was completely restless and just needed to go somewhere. Anywhere.  
  
He didn't want to be in his apartment, not today anyways. It was the one year anniversary of the Titans splitting up after all. He supposed he just didn't like how lonely his apartment felt.  
  
Normally, on days like this, he and Cyborg would be indoors playing videogames in the comfort of their warm living room. Robin and Starfire could almost always be found cuddling on the end of the sofa in complete oblivion of the world around them. After they'd confessed their undying love to each other, they were inseparable. It was annoying at times, but it was also adorable. It was the closest thing Gar had ever seen to the perfect relationship.  
  
Raven would ether be hidden in her room or on the other end of the couch reading one of her huge novels that Gar could have sworn she'd already read at least three times. He thought it was cute, how she'd keep to herself while reading with a blank expression, but could be caught trying to suppress a smile every now and again because of a comment one of the others made or a joke Gar himself spewed.  
  
He believed she actually liked listening to their weird conversations that she referred to as "idiotic" and "boring", though she'd probably never admit it.  
  
Oh god how he missed those times.  
  
All of those moments he'll never be able to experience again.  
  
He'd always been the type of person who loved being around people. He hated being alone, he hated it more than anything. The Teen Titans were his best friends _and_ his family. They were always there for him when he needed them.  
  
But then they just _left_.  
  
He'd already been abandoned by people dear to him, he'd already felt the horrid pain of losing the ones he'd been closest to. But this seemed to hurt _so much worse_.  
  
When he'd felt hopeless and alone, they brought him into their group. They were there to help pick up all of his broken pieces. Without them, there probably wouldn't be a him.  
  
But then Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg were asked to join The Justice League. He didn't expect them to say no, but he also didn't expect them to leave him alone, ether.  
  
Raven was in the same boat as he was. They were both being left behind, but at least they had each other.  
  
He'd always had a thing for Raven since the day they met. He wouldn't say he loved her per say, but he defiantly had quite the crush on her. He hoped that they could possibly stay together at the tower and maybe create a new team. But then Raven informed him that she was leaving her superhero life behind, and that she was going to live like a normal civilian.  
  
He was crushed.  
  
He had no one. He was alone, _again_.  
  
So here he was, an entire year later. He hadn't heard much from the three that joined the League aside from the occasional "Hey, how are you?" few minute text conversations. And he hadn't heard anything from Raven at all. He'd tried getting in contact with her again, but he never got a reply to any of his texts or calls. It's like she drop off the face of the earth.  
  
Continuing to walk in freezing fall weather, he now rounded the corner into an alleyway as a shortcut to a coffee shop that wasn't far. The wind was picking up, so he decided it would be best to get indoors before he caught a cold. He may have a naturally warm body temperature, but it certainly didn't keep him from getting sick.  
  
As he made his way through the long alley, he was suddenly struck in the back of the neck. He jerked forward and pulled what appeared to be a dart of some sort from his neck.  
  
_Fuck_.  
  
And just like that, he fell to the ground completely unconscious.  
  
___________________________________  
  
  
Ignoring people, it was one of Raven's specialties. It'd been days since she'd stormed out of the hospital. Travis, of course, had been trying to get ahold of her through texts and phone calls, but Raven had completely avoided them.  
  
She didn't want to talk about what happened, especially to him. What would she tell him? That this werewolf creature immobilized her with the use of emotions, and she was beat within a matter of seconds?  
  
Nothing she could tell him would help them beat it any easier, for none of them were empaths like she was. They wouldn't be paralyzed by emotions. To them, it would be like taking out the occasional monster the Titans needed help to defeat.  
  
_Knock_ _knock_.  
  
And there it was. The dreaded house visit from whom she guessed was Travis himself.  
  
She slipped from under the blanket she'd been using for warmth and carefully crept to the door, slowly opening it.  
  
Sometimes, she hated it when she was right.  
  
"Miss Roth, I'm sorry to invade." Travis began immediately. "But I've been trying to get ahold of you for days. Please, can I have a moment of your time?"  
  
Sighing, Raven responded plainly, "Fine. But this has to be quick." She then motioned for him to enter.  
  
After a moment of observing her apartment, Travis started again, "I actually have some new information that I think you'll be interested in, Miss Roth." He then carefully sat on the couch, folding his hands in his lap. She sat across from him.  
  
"The werewolf was spotted again today, but while we were in pursuit, something that none of us can explain happened." He then leaned forward slightly. "This werewolf isn't just a werewolf. It has the ability to transform."  
  
"What do you mean by transform?" She questioned, now a bit more curious in the subject.  
  
"One of my men were able to land a couple of shots, one through the beast's left leg and the other straight into it's chest. We were sure we had it trapped in an alleyway because of how much blood it'd lost, we thought it wouldn't be able to run anymore. But when we blocked the entrance and began to close in on it, it…. changed. It morphed into a hawk and took off before we could react."  
  
Suddenly all of the deja vu made sense. Why she wasn't killed, why the werewolf was green, and why it's emotions felt like a twisted version of ones that she was so familiar with. It was _Beast Boy_.  
  
"Oh my god."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we go.....  
> If you're enjoying this story, please leave kudos and maybe a comment! I'd love some feedback!


	6. The Beast

_Oh my god._  
  
_Oh. My. God._  
  
"Oh my god."  
  
The second the words slipped from her lips, several things could be heard exploding from the kitchen behind them along with every lightbulb in the apartment.  
  
Startled, Travis rose to his feet and hovered his hand over the gun attached to his right hip.  
  
"What the hell?!" He spat as more of a statement than a question.  
  
Raven had also stood and immediately advanced for the door, her face completely frozen in shock.  
  
"Miss Roth? Where are you going?!" He quickly questioned as he followed behind her. He was still startled from the random explosions as it was clearly apparent in his voice and the way his hands shook slightly.  
  
After quickly grabbing her coat, Raven began to summon a portal. "Officer, do _not_ follow me. You've done enough." She hissed at him. And then she was gone, leaving Travis alone and shaken in her apartment wondering what the hell just happened.  
  
___________________________________  
  
  
_I have to find him._  
  
Travis said that the beast was bleeding horribly. _Beast Boy_ was bleeding horribly.  
  
He didn't have the healing abilities that Raven possessed. If he was shot in the chest, it could be fatal. She had to find him. _Now._  
  
Her quickly summoned portal had led her only a short ways from the old factory. From there, she instantly took to the skies. The sun was setting and the air was getting colder by the minute. But even as poorly dressed as she was, Raven didn't even notice. She had one goal, and she didn't care about anything else.  
  
When she reached the familiar cement building, she landed right in front of the hole she had once feared to enter. Only now, she went in without hesitation.  
  
The first thing she noticed was the smell. It smelled _awful_. Like something died years ago and was left to rot. It was then that she noticed the trail of blood. It wasn't easy to see, but thankfully, the sun hadn't gone down completely yet, it illuminated the building just enough for her to see her surroundings.  
  
The blood seemed to be relatively fresh, and it lead behind several large crates.  
  
"Beast Boy?" She whispered as she quietly made her way to the boxes. She could sense them, the emotions that'd once crippled her. Luckily, this time, they were much less potent.  
  
A horrid growl echoed form the darkness ahead of her.  
  
She stopped dead in her tracks. As the growl gradually became louder, Raven's conscience screamed for her to just drop it and leave. What if this wasn't Beast Boy? What if she gets around the corner to find that her theory was incorrect? It could've killed her last time.  
  
_'But it didn't'_ a little voice in her head added.  
  
In that moment, she made up her mind. She carefully continued to approach the old crates as the growl grew more ferocious. Her hands rose in preparation as her eyes began to glow. She then heard movement followed by a loud yelp of pain.  
  
"Beast Boy!" She called as she quickly rounded the corner. And there he was, still in werewolf form, lying on his side with his teeth bared. His green pelt was stained with red, and he struggled to prop himself up on his front legs. He was still emitting a low growl as his eyes made contact with hers.  
  
She slowly began to move towards him, her hands that were once in a defensive position now held more passively.  
  
"Beast Boy, it's me. Raven." She quietly stated continuing her approach. "It's me. I'm not your enemy, Garfield." At this, his eyes widened and his growl ceased completely. But seconds after, he collapsed to the ground completely unconscious.  
  
"Damnit Garfield!" She spat as she rushed forward. As she knelt down next to his large wolf head, he began to revert to his original form.  
  
He was now lying there completely human. Or, as human as he was to begin with. The fact that he didn't have any clothes on didn't even occur to Raven, she was more distracted by the large puddle of blood he was resting in.  
  
She briskly yet carefully turned his body over to reveal the chest wound he had sustained.  
  
_Oh Azar._  
  
It was horrible. She honestly had no clue how he was still alive, he'd lost too much blood to have even been conscious when she arrived. Yet, somehow, he was.  
  
She immediately placed her hand over the injury, closing her eyes and mumbling her chant to herself. She instantly felt her energy being sapped from her body. Her hands began to shake and small beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. In her panic to get to him in time, she'd forgotten that her powers had their limits.  
  
After the longest few minutes of her life, Raven had to take a break before she too passed out. The adrenaline had kept her from properly thinking. But now that she was able to calm down slightly, she finally started to take everything in.  
  
Right in front of her lied Garfield Mark Logan, the shapeshifting wonder and jokester of the Teen Titans. But he wasn't anything like she remembered. He'd grown, a _lot_. His once puny arms and legs now bulging with noticeable muscles. The round childlike face he once had was now chiseled and defined. His wild hair was matted with dried blood and stuck out in several different directions. The forest green body of the previous vegan who refused to eat anything related to animals was now covered in blood that wasn't only his own.  
  
It'd been eight years since she'd seen him.  
  
_What the hell happened?_  
  
At one point, he was one of the closest friends she'd ever had. A friend she'd left behind to start a different life. She abandoned him for her own selfish needs, and look what happened….

She needed answers. She needed to know why this was happening.

Did the other Titans even know about this? Did they have any clue where he'd gone all those years ago after he was left to his own devices?  
  
These horrid thoughts plagued her mind as she placed his head on her lap and continued to try and mend his gaping wounds.  
  
"I'm sorry, Gar…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's chapter 6! It's a little short, but because I'm posting pretty frequently, I hope that's alright. They won't always be this short. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!  
> (Kudos and comments are always amazing.) <3


	7. The Split

-Flashback-  
  
Raven had always had her issues. She was, after all, a demon; daughter of Trigon. This obviously effected her life more than she wished it to. She'd done her fair share of horrible things, she'd been treated like crap, and she honestly hated herself 90% of the time.  
  
Not only was she a demon, but she also had unbelievably strong powers that were, unfortunately, controlled through emotions.  
  
As an empath who struggled with her emotions, let alone other people's emotions, this really sucked.  
  
She'd spent years learning how to properly control her emotions, and she was getting fairly good at it. For once in her life, Raven began to feel more confident in herself.  
  
However, when she heard the Titans were splitting up, she faltered in her newly found confidence. Her friends, the people she trusted to be there if she needed them, were leaving her.  
  
Well, all of them except Beast Boy.  
  
She didn't mind him really. Yes, they had a hard time getting along in the past. But as of recently, they'd finally started forming quite a strong friendship.  
  
So it wasn't all bad that he was the only one staying, but at the same time…. It sort of was.  
  
He had mentioned before that he wanted to try and recreate the Teen Titans, taking in young heros to form a new team. And it would've been a great idea if it didn't mean the two of them would have to be in charge. Raven was terrified of that sort of commitment and authority.  
  
There was no way she could do it. She could just barley control herself, how could she possibly help lead a team?  
  
She had to tell him, it would be cruel to let him think she'd be staying.  
  
-  
  
It was noon now. The sun was slowly going to rest as the sky was covered in a beautiful rosy hue. The evening was quiet, though it hadn't been earlier.  Robin, Cyborg, and Starfire had all officially left the team only thirty minutes ago. After saying her goodbyes, Raven made her way to the rooftop. And that's where she stayed, floating in meditation, taking in the events of the day, surrounded by the calmness as the day faded away.  
  
It was then that she heard the door carefully move.  
  
She knew he was there, she heard his quietly placed footsteps creeping up beside her. He always tried to be courteous of her privacy whenever he noticed that she was meditating. It was one of the many things she had come to appreciate about him.  
  
"So, you never came down to say goodbye…. to the… others." The emerald boy finally spoke.  
  
"I did, actually. I must've left before you came." She replied matter-of-factly.  
  
"Oh…" He sheepishly replied. A few silent moments passed before Raven slowly lowered to the ground.  
  
"Gar, I… I need to tell you something." She murmured. They locked eyes then, and he sat down next to her making sure to leave a reasonable gap between them.  
  
"You ok?" He questioned.  
  
"I'm… well…" She stopped herself and briefly closed her eyes, giving a quiet sigh. "I'm fine, but I've made a decision that might sound…. like I'm trying to get away from you." She calmly stated. "But I want you to know that I'm not. You're… you're one of my best friends, and I just want to make sure you know that…"  
  
"Raven, what are you trying to say?" He questioned with his head tilted to the side like a confused puppy. He looked genuinely concerned. Azar this would be harder to tell him then she thought.  
  
"I'm not staying. I've decided to leave." She hesitantly answered, biting her lip and facing away from him. She became worried when she didn't hear a reply, and looked to see him staring at his hands that were folded in his lap.  
  
After several seconds that felt like hours, Beast Boy finally uttered, "I… I guess it makes sense." It was her turn to be confused. She leaned towards him slightly with furrowed brows. "I mean, the Titans are splitting up, moving on with their lives. So, it only makes sense you'd want to move on, too." He explained.  
  
"No Gar, I-"  
  
"No, Rae, It's ok, really. I'm glad you told me." He stated while giving her a weak smile. "We're both adults now, we shouldn't be afraid to talk to each other. And I understand. You don't have to make up excuses. It's probably a good idea to get away from the hero duty for awhile…"  
  
"I just…. I want you to understand that it's not because I don't want to stay here with you. I love being around you, Gar. I'm just…" She paused then, taking a moment to think about her words. "I think that taking a break could give me the time I need to gain even more control over my powers, to find myself, so to speak."  
  
Garfield was now slowly rising to his feet. "As I said, Rae, I understand." He then opened the door leading inside, but stopped and faced her. "While you're on your grand adventure of self-discovery, just don't forget me, ok?" He flashed her a toothy grin before disappearing into the building once more.  
  
-  
  
She was leaving that night. She'd packed all of her belongings and even took a little time to reminisce over all the memories that'd been made here.  
  
God how she was going to miss this place.  
  
As she was about to leave, she went searching for Garfield to say her final goodbyes, and probably apologize again, though it wasn't really necessary.  
  
Unfortunately, she'd checked his room, the living room, all the other random rooms that were scattered throughout the T-shaped building, and even the roof again. But he was nowhere to be found.  
  
After nearly a half an hour of looking, she finally gave up.  
  
She felt horrible, leaving and not even being able to say a proper goodbye. But she wasn't moving too far away, and it wasn't like he was going to just disappear. They'd just have to find time to catch up again very soon.  
  
With those final thoughts entering her mind as a proper solution, she left the T-shaped building for the last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here it is, another flashback chapter.  
> I still have a lot planned for this story that I'm excited to write about. So I hope you're enjoying it so far!  
> And as always, kudos and comments mean a ton to me. Thanks! <3


	8. The Encounter

The cold finally began to chill her core. The skimpy shorts and noodle strap tank-top didn't do much to fight against it, not to mention she was a perpetually cold person in general. And she did have a coat, but after noticing Beast Boy's… exposed parts… she'd used it to give him a bit of a covering.  
  
Thankfully, the bullet to his chest hadn't pierced anything vital and she was relieved to find that his superhuman genes were already working to heal the wounds.  
  
However, she still needed to keep him from bleeding more than he already had, so she'd been spending the last 15 minutes doing a bit of damage control. Unfortunately, her thoughts were still a jumbled mess and focusing was getting harder and harder by the second. She had no clue what to do next.  
  
That's when she heard it; car doors slamming outside.  
  
_Fuck._  
  
After leaving Travis in such a manner, it should've been obvious that he would come here immediately to look for her. Well, it would've been obvious if Raven wasn't running solely on an adrenaline rush and had barely thought through any of her previous actions.  
  
But now the officer was here with what sounded like several of his men. And here she was with Garfield, the "beast" they were suppose to _kill_. She couldn't let them find him. She had to find a way to get them both out of there, and quick.  
  
Normally, Raven would make a portal leading far enough away that they would be safe in no time. Unfortunately, she'd just drained herself of any powers she had left.  
  
_Plan B it is then._  
  
After quickly noticing a small exit in the wall next to her, she grabbed both of Garfield's hands and began dragging him, her legs quivering beneath her as they struggled to hold her own weight and the added weight of a rather heavy man.  
  
___________________________________  
  
"Sir!" A tall man dressed in police attire called as he hastily made his way across the building.  
  
"Anything?" The brown haired officer questioned with his hand steadily placed on the small gun hanging from his belt.  
  
"Other than the puddle of blood and the…. remains… no sir. We've scanned the entire structure and even tried to follow the trail of blood only to loose it right outside the building."  
  
"Damnit." Travis cursed under his breath. "And the footprints?"  
  
"They're way to small to be a man's, so we believe there's a woman involved. However, what woman is still unknown."  
  
Unbeknown to his men, Travis had a pretty good idea who was responsible, and he'd had absolutely no luck in getting ahold of her.  
  
Travis' sudden movement towards his car caused confusion to appear on the policeman's face. "Sir?"  
  
"Continue your investigation here. I have something I need to take care of." were his final words before driving off into the darkness.  
  
___________________________________  
  
_Azar when did you get so damn heavy?!_  
  
Curses flew through her mind as she hauled the unconscious green man behind a large oak where she finally stopped her desperate attempt to move him. The trees around them cast eerie shadows as the moon continued to rise higher into the dark sky. She had no idea what time it was at this point, and she honestly didn't care.  
  
Though they were now much deeper in the forest, Raven still had the horrid feeling they weren't safe. She'd been very careful not to leave a path, and she'd even summoned every last bit of strength she had left to levitate the both of them a short distance to assure their safety.  
  
However, she still didn't feel like they were safe. But even though she felt like they still needed to get further away, she had nothing left. She was emotionally and physically drained, and it was a miracle that she'd been able to get them this far without passing out.  
  
Completely engulfed in her thoughts, Raven didn't notice the changeling beginning to stir next to her.  
  
_I can't stay out here. I would be frozen before morning. And there's no way I'm leaving hi-_  
  
She was quickly pulled from her contemplations as the once unconscious man slammed her into the towering tree.  
  
It only took a second for her to regain her bearings, and it was then that she looked straight into the sharp amber eyes before her.  
  
"B-Beast Boy." She quietly stuttered. She couldn't move. Whether it was because of the lack of energy or how shocked she was, she couldn't say. He pressed her shoulders firmly into the tree, there faces so close she could feel his breath.  
  
A low growl rumbled from his chest as his fangs glistened in the moonlight. Raven parted her quivering lips to speak, but she couldn't find any words.  
  
After what felt like an eternity, Garfield's face began to soften and he released his hold on her. Taking a step back, he started to examine his blood stained hands.  
  
"Beas-" Raven began.  
  
"Y-You shouldn't have helped me…" He cut her off, his unrecognizably deep voice startling her. After looking up to see the confused expression she displayed, he continued, "You should've left me there. I… You shouldn't have helped me."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Why are you here?!" He growled suddenly only to instantly regret his outburst. His eyes lowered once more and his hands became fists.  
  
She didn't know how to respond. She had so many questions, but she was also too terrified to ask. He'd already jumped her and yelled at her, and he'd only been awake for a few minutes. She couldn't take the chance of him attacking her, not now. Her powers were still drained. If he wanted to kill her, he could.  
  
But she needed answers.  
  
After carefully contemplating her next words, Raven finally spoke, "What is going on?"  
  
No response.  
  
"Beast Boy."  
  
Still no response.  
  
"Damnit Garfield! What the hell is going on?!" Their eyes quickly met once again. Her previous concerns were now replaced by pure irritation. "You've been MIA for eight years! _Eight years!_ And I get put on a case to track down a murderer only to find you! You, Beast Boy, a previous member of The Teen Titans who has, for some reason, started killing _dozens_ of innocent people!" She now stood directly in front of him. "I don't know what's happened to you in the past few years, but by Azar you had better have an _amazing_ explanation for this!"  
  
A moment of silence followed. Raven then realized what she'd just done and instantly began to back off, her arms wrapping around herself.  
  
"…I won't inconvenience you again." He spoke sharply as he turned away. "Don't follow me. Just… forget any of this happened." He then quickly transformed into a fox and sprinted off into the darkness.  
  
After parting her lips in preparation to protest, he was already gone.  
  
"There's no way in hell you're disappearing again." She hissed as she leaned against the tree to regain her bearings. She then grabbed the forgotten coat from the ground and started making her way towards the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for not updating sooner, college has been keeping me very busy. But here's chapter 8!  
> I hope you're enjoying the story so far! And once again, kudos and comments are always super appreciated. Thanks! <3


	9. The Next Encounter

Taking more time to think before acting when her powers are depleted was something Raven desperately needed to improve on. Unfortunately, she now found herself in another predicament due to her hasty behavior.  
  
"Miss Roth." Travis' voice echoed through the room. The entire apartment was dark spare for a lamp that perched near the chair the man sat in. Raven stood still facing the entrance as she had just locked the front door. His sudden words paralyzed her to the spot.  
  
_How could I have been so stupid?!_  
  
A few footsteps could be heard before his next words pierced the silence, "I have a few questions for you…" After a momentary pause, he began to flip through what sounded like a notepad as he continued, "And I expect you to answer them honestly."  
  
Azar what was she thinking?! She should have known better than to come back here! This man was a top class detective, and with her sudden disappearance and the fact that she didn't do well to cover up her trail, he was bound to suspect her.  
  
It was only a moment of silence before Raven slowly turned around, hugging the coat to her body. He was a lot closer to her than she had thought, standing only arms length away. Even though the room was dimly lit, she could still see his expression clearly. He looked… Confused?  
  
She furrowed her brows before quickly realizing the cause of his features.  
  
She was still covered in blood.  
  
Immediately after her comprehension, she leaned back against the door, hugging the jacket even closer to her body. She felt naked and exposed, like he had just uncovered all of her secrets. She expected him to demand answers or call for backup, but he never did. He simply examined her with what seemed like a hint of disappointment.  
  
After what felt like an eternity of his eyes prying into her very soul, he finally uttered, "So it was you…" His words hinted concern. However, it didn't go unnoticed by Raven that while one of his hands placed the notepad back in the pocket of his coat, the other rested on the gun attached to his hip.  
  
She took a moment to collect all of her currently wild emotions and put on the coldest expression she could muster before finally speaking, "If you want answers, then I'll give them to you. But not tonight. Now, get out of my apartment." The final words slipped from her mouth like venom.  
  
Travis seemed slightly taken back by her sudden change in mood. He took a careful step back before speaking in an equally adjusted tone, "You do realize, Miss Roth, that you should be arrested for interfering with police work." He snapped, his hand tightening on the gun.  
  
"I said I'd give you the answers you want. However, I need time to collect myself. So, if you want a coherent response, we should have this interrogation tomorrow." She hissed as she brushed past him. But instead of being stopped as she expected, he didn't move. After looking back, she found him turned towards her, but he remained in the same spot. His face wore the expression of one who was in deep thought.  
  
After hesitating slightly, Raven began to make her way to her room again.  
  
"You know your building will be guarded." He finally voiced. She quickly stopped to look at him once more. "You won't be able to leave until I get what I need from you."  
  
Shooting him an icy glare, she disappeared into her room.  
  
___________________________________  
  
Travis came to interrogate her the next day just as they discussed, but she refused to give any information. Days past, and the only things he could get from her were nasty remarks and excuses. It had been three days, and he found himself at her apartment once again.  
  
He should've turned her in already. In fact, he should've informed the Justice League about her interference.  
  
But he hadn't been able to make himself do it.  
  
Why? He had no idea. But now he was running out of options. It had been days, and she's a suspect. If he couldn't get her to talk today, he would have no other option. And for some reason, this realization pained him.  
  
He ventured into her living room, waving his men away. After taking a moment to collect himself, he finally called out, "Miss Roth?"  
  
A few minutes passed, but still no sign of her.  
  
"Miss Roth?" He called out once again, this time standing up. After hearing nothing but silence once more, he quickly made his way to her room. Without hesitation, he opened the door only to find Raven sitting on her windowsill with a book in her hands.  
  
Giving a sigh of relief, he calmly spoke, "Raven… Can I please talk to you?"  
  
The use of her name in this situation not only caused him to flinch, but caused her to glare at the pages of the novel she was reading and stick her nose further into the book.  
  
"Ra-Miss Roth, _please_. If you don't tell me what happened I have no choice but to-" He was cut off by one of his men running in.  
  
"Sir! The monster's been spotted!"  
  
"Where?!" Travis quickly questioned.  
  
"Only a few blocks from here!"  
  
"What?! It's never attacked this far into the city?!"  
  
"Sir, you're needed immediately!"  
  
Travis hastily glanced at Raven who now stood with the book forgotten on the floor.  
  
"Take me with you." She demanded.  
  
"What? Why?!" Travis snapped.  
  
"Your men have no chance against hi-I mean it. You need me. And don't you want answers?" She spoke with only the slightest bit of haste in her tone.  
  
He could tell she was lying about giving them answers, but she wasn't wrong about them being outmatched.  
  
He quickly mulled over her words before nodding. "But if you try anything, you _will_ be taken down." He added.  
  
_This is a bad idea._  
  
___________________________________  
  
She truly had no clue why he agreed to let her come. Her excuses were weak, not to mention she'd been refusing to share information for days.  
  
But none of that mattered now. They currently stood in front of a five story building that appeared to be an office of some sort. Police officers surrounded the entire structure with guns, some behind cars and others behind riot shields.  
  
_He must be in there._  
  
 "Is it in there?" Travis' sudden voice caused her to jump slightly.  
  
"Yes sir." A fellow officer responded.  
  
"What about the civilians?" He quickly added.  
  
"The building was mostly vacant. However, a few people are not accounted for. We're trying to find the best way to get in there without loosing anyone else."  
  
"I understand. If we can possib-" Travis cut himself off as Raven hastily made her way to the entrance.  
  
"RAVEN!" He yelled, but to no avail. After hearing him, she quickly vanished into a portal before anyone could stop her.  
  
-  
  
In an instant, she found herself in a dimly lit room filled with desks. The shades were drawn, and the entire interior was demolished: tables were flipped, chairs were crushed, and papers created a blanket on the ground. It was then that she noticed the huge claw marks slashed into the walls and the blood that stained the papers and carpet.  
  
_Oh Azar…_  
  
That's when she felt the faint trace of the familiar emotions that she'd felt many nights ago at the abandoned factory.  
  
Without hesitation, she quickly followed them through several different hallways, trying her best to ignore the horrid smell that also grew increasingly stronger. She then stopping in front of a large, dark room.  
  
He was in there. She could feel it.  
  
But before she could proceed, she heard a sharp gasp.  
  
She froze.  
  
Silence filled the air once more, and Raven didn't dare move an inch.  
  
It felt like it had been an eternity before a shaky voice pierced the silence, "Ra-Raven?"  
  
She felt a cold shiver shoot up her spine, her body flinching at her name.  
  
"Raven, i-is that you?" It continued. "I-I didn't, I really mean it, I d-didn't mean to."  
  
Her eyes grew wide with the realization of who was speaking.  
  
"Garfield?" She cautiously asked in a low voice. She couldn't see a thing, and that terrified her. Then, suddenly, she heard movement from within the room. Still not able to  move properly due to fright, she slowly took a step back as the noise grew closer. She began to see the shape of someone slowly crawling on the ground.  
  
Just as she began preparing to make an escape portal, the shaky voice rung out again, "Raven please… Please I n-need-" What sounded like a sob or a choke came from it, startling her. Due to poor footing, she clumsily stumbled backwards, landing on the blood covered ground below.  
  
The emotions she was currently experiencing were clouding her head. And after falling, it took her a moment to regain her bearings. But just as she looked up from the ground, her eyes locked with forest green ones.  
  
"G-Garfield?" She quietly stuttered.  
  
At this point, she could clearly tell it was him. He was hunched over, his wide and terrified eyes peering at her through the messy locks of green hair that covered most of his face. Blood dripped off of his chin and the majority of his body was stained red. He was shaking, his jaw quivering.  
  
"Ple-please Raven. Help me. _Please_." He begged without breaking eye contact. "I know I refused before, but please, please, I-I need help." She could have sworn she saw tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.  
  
Just as she parted her lips to speak, she heard shouting from the hallway.  
  
_Damnit, they're here!_  
  
After quickly looking to the hallway and back at the pitiful changeling that sat before her, she stood up and shakily walked over to him. He lowered his head as she grew closer and balled his hands into quivering fists. She then hesitantly placed both of her hands on his shoulders, crouching in front of him.  
  
As she touched him, she could feel him tense up along with giving a sharp inhale. Just then, the police rounded the corner only to see her flip her cloak over both of them and vanish into the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been a long time since I've updated, and I apologize. College was pretty intense and I wanted to really enjoy the holidays. Not that writing this isn't fun, but I just wasn't really in the mood to write for a while.  
> But I'm back! And I have a ton more ideas and inspiration for this story that I'm super excited to share!  
> As always, comments and kudos are absolutely wonderful, and I hope you enjoyed this longer chapter!


	10. The Request

_Life or death? Which do you deserve?_  
  
___________________________________  
  
It took her only a moment to regain her bearings after the hasty teleportation to what looked like… an old hotel room? Well, she hadn't really thought of where her quickly summoned portal would take them. When the officers rounded the corner, she panicked. This place was probably only a couple streets, if not only buildings, away. But she supposed this was better than an accidental appearance in front of the many police officers that were waiting outside.  
  
However, with all that aside, she quickly brought her attention to the issue at hand: She was lying on top of a very bloody, mostly naked green man who was staring right at her.  
  
It only took her a split second to realize the situation, and she instantly responded by leaping off of him. Unfortunately, this only caused her to stumble over a box.  
  
Mumbling curse words under her breath while she quickly stood up, she was prepared to see Garfield standing up, as well. But he hadn't even moved an inch.  
  
She wanted to say something, but she ended up only parting her lips slightly before changing her mind. Instead, she opted to just stand there as she tried processing the events that just took place. As she pondered there with her face hidden in the shadow of her hood and her arms wrapped around herself, she couldn't help but stare at the changeling.  
  
He still lay there flat on his back with one leg propped up, his arms sprawled out to his sides. Thankfully, he seemed to have had clothes on before as a good portion of his pants still remained. _Thank Azar_.  
  
She then noticed how his chest rose and fell in an uneven, shaky manner, how his fingers quivered, and how he stared straight at the decaying roof above without blinking. His mouth hung slightly open as red liquid slowly dripped down from it's edges as well as coating the majority of his figure.  
  
She was still processing the fact that he was here, right in front of her. But at the same time, it wasn't _him_.  
  
"I-I… I'm sorry…" He quietly whimpered causing Raven to snap out of her thoughts.  
  
Without saying a word, she cautiously approached him. His eyes were still locked onto the ceiling. She carefully stood a few feet away from him.  
  
"I came to… To find you actually…" He stated with a slight and fake chuckle. "But then I… Heh… I sorta lost control…"  
  
At this point Raven had gracefully slid down her hood to expose her pail face. She furrowed her brows in question as she took a step forward.  
  
"You see, I need you to… I need you to do me a favor…" He then paused, his slight smile fading into a look of dread. "I need you to… To kill me."  
  
After his final words, his gaze finally left the roof and landed on her. He stayed there motionless as he waited for a response.  
  
Raven stood there in shock, her stare fixed on him. She didn't know what to say or how to act, she wasn't able to properly process what he just requested of her before she hissed, "What the _hell_ are you talking about?"  
  
Garfield then slowly sat up with a grunt, his eyes still resting on her as he answered, "I can't do it myself. I've tried... _It_ won't let me."  
  
After a moment of silence, Raven's confused face morphed into one of anger. "I need answers, Garfield." She stated in a cold tone. "What the _hell_ is going on?"  
  
She must have subconsciously backed away as she now found herself pressed against the wall. A slight panic rose within her as the bloody changeling slowly stood up. He stumbled a little like he'd forgotten how to walk, but after regaining his bearings, he steadily started wandering towards her.  
  
"It doesn't really matter what happened. I'm gonna be dead anyways." He mused in a twisted manner, his shakiness not effecting his voice any longer.  
  
"Stay back." She warned as he crept closer and closer. Dark energy incased her slightly quivering hands and her eyes began to glow.  
  
Right before he reached her, he collapsed onto his knees, his head lowered as he roughly grabbed the sides of his head.  
  
"Please, please just KILL ME!" He suddenly burst out into a sob at her feet. "I can-I can't take it anymore!"  
  
His unexpected cry caused Raven to suddenly fling the wooden box right into the wall, breaking it to pieces.  
  
He payed it no mind as he continued, "You of all people should know what it's like to…" His watering eyes crept from the floor and locked with her lilac ones, "To feel yourself slipping. To lose yourself. To have something inside of you take over _that isn't you_."  
  
His final words hit her like a bullet making her hunch over slightly and lean against the wall for balance.  
  
Everything suddenly made so much sense. He'd always struggled to control his inner beast, just like she had with her inner demon. But now it seemed he finally lost the battle. He'd now reached the point where he could only see himself as a hazard, as something that just needed to be gotten rid of.  
  
Casting her fear and unease to the side, she crouched down and wrapped her arms tightly around him. She felt him start to shiver as he went limp in her grasp, his forehead resting on her shoulder.  
  
"You're not gone yet you selfish asshole." She whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a shorter chapter, but the next one will be out very soon. (And it will be a long one ;))  
> Thank you so much for the encouraging comments last chapter. Seeing them really inspired me to work harder on this story.  
> I'm so glad you guys are enjoying it so far, and I'm so excited to start writing out the many ideas I have for this story.  
> Thank you all again! I'll see you really soon for a new chapter! <3


	11. The Problem

The sharp ringing of a communication device was not the way Starfire wanted to wake up on one of her only days of rest. It was early enough that the morning sun had just barely reached the partially open window, touching the edge of the messy bed that she currently curled up on.  
  
"Mmmm Dick?" Her weak voice called from the cushiony pillow her face was pressed into.  
  
After not hearing a response, she slowly looked toward the vacant side of the bed and furrowed her brows.  
  
"Dick?"  
  
Still no response.  
  
"Richard? Are you not aware that your communication device is ringing?"  
  
And yet again, silence.  
  
With a slight grunt, she reached over and answered the call without any regards as to who it was.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
-  
  
It was one of those occasional days where him and Kory could get away for at least a little while and have some alone time without having to stop a rampaging villain or save a city from complete destruction. Richard John Grayson— or as the civilians would call him, Nightwing— had just returned from a quick run to the store for ingredients to make breakfast.  
  
As he carefully unpacked, he noticed Kory quickly making her way towards him.  
  
"Good morning beaut-" Upon seeing the unpleasant expression on her face, he stopped mid sentence. "What's the matter? Are you upset that I didn't tell you where I was going this morning? Because if that's it then-"  
  
"No, no, it isn't about that. Your communicator went off while you were absent." She stated as he took hold of her hands.  
  
"It was about friend Raven…" She sorrowfully added as she looked down at him.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Friend Raven seems to have done something very wrong and we are needed to catch her as she has gone into hiding."  
  
"Wait, _what?!_ " Dick asked again, this time taking a step back.  
  
"That is all they said. Perhaps they misspoke?"  
  
"Was it the League?"  
  
"Yes, but-"  
  
"Then no, it wasn't a mistake."  
  
He then quickly made his way to the bedroom. As he began to fiddle with his communicator, Kory stood at the doorway with her hands held over her mouth and her eyes threatening to water.  
  
"Yes, this is Nightwing."  
  
With a few yes and no answers and pacing throughout the room several times, he answered with an "Understood" before lowering his device.  
  
As his fists clenched, he slowly turned towards the concerned heroine.  
  
"We need to head over immediately."  
  
___________________________________  
  
Realizing how easily the police could find them in there current position, the demoness forced the changeling to come with her to the outskirts of the city. There she led him into a large and seemingly abandoned brick building.  
  
It was two stories tall and it seemed to have been in disrepair for quite a few years. The only thing illuminating it's interior were the small rays of the setting sun peeking through the boarded up windows.  
  
On their trip here, because Beast Boy was a large green man covered in blood, they had to use back roads and hide in alleyways to stay out of sight. During this time, Raven hadn't failed to notice how he had kept a very far distance from her. And when he would notice he was 'too close', he would immediately back away— or in some instances, abruptly jump away and accidentally run into something.  
  
Not only that, but he was incredibly quiet. She gave up asking him any questions as he apparently didn't fancy answering any of them.  
  
Though she knew this was a dangerous and horribly stupid idea— being around him in this terribly unstable state— she continued none the less.  
  
As darkness crept over the city, Raven decided to meditate. It had been the most chaotic day she'd had in a long time and her brain was a jumbled mess, so taking a few moments to collect herself seemed like the best option at the moment. Beast Boy quietly sat in the furthest corner of the room with his knees to his chest.  
  
She knew he wasn't happy about being here. He had just begged for death, and she convinced him to accept her help. And even though he agreed, she knew he truly thought the whole endeavor was hopeless. Not only that, but he genuinely didn't think he was worth the effort.  
  
As she meditated, she could sense the fluctuation in his emotions. She floated in complete silence as she examined how they shifted, how he struggled to keep control.  
  
At one point, she could feel him start to slip. In an instant, she quickly turned around in preparation to either fight or flee, but she instead turned to find him hugging his knees tightly to his chest with his head lowered. He was visibly shaking and emitting low growls.  
  
In only a matter of minutes, she saw him relax a bit and felt his emotions stabilize.  
  
It was then that she got an idea.  
  
She knew that his inner beast was what was trying to take control. It did in the past on several occasions: like when she was kidnapped, or when Cyborg was nearly melted into oblivion by that robo dragon.  
  
However, every time in the past when it emerged, it would always be for a good cause. And right after the threat was taken care of, it would relinquish control.  
  
But that wasn't the case this time.  
  
Not only was it coming out in bloodlust for innocent people, but it wasn't too keen on going dormant again either. It was like it was mad— no, _furious_ about something. That something must have happened to him in the last seven years, and it haunted him. She could tell by the ghostly look on his face every time she attempted to get answers.  
  
But knowing what happened or not wouldn't change anything— or so she hoped. She knew that the beast was angry, and she was going to try and calm it down.  
  
It had been a while since she had messed in someone's subconscious, but Garfield's inner beast and her inner demon were not all that different… right?  
  
"I have an idea." She announced as she slowly ceased her levitation.  
  
From the shadowy corner of the room, he brought his head up in confusion.  
  
"I need you to come here and lie down." She requested.  
  
He didn't move. Instead he creased his brow looking more irritated than confused.  
  
Raven simply stood in the center of the room shooting him a nasty glare.  
  
Crossing her arms, she finally spoke, "Garfield Mark Logan I _swear—_ you are going to let me help you." The words dripped from her mouth like venom and her stare held the potential to burn a hole right through him.  
  
He cowered slightly at the sudden use of his full name and cautiously made his way over to her.  
  
"Lie down and close your eyes." She commanded.  
  
The second he parted his lips in protest, she shot him another icy glare. He then hesitantly complied to her requests.  
  
She knelt above his head, and as her cold fingers made contact with his temples, she saw him jump slightly as he pressed his lips into a tight line.  
  
She then carefully placed her palms on both sides of his head as she quietly spoke, "I can feel you suppressing your emotions."  
  
"I-I can't let them go. If I lose it now, I don't want to know what would happen. If I hurt you-"  
  
"Trust me, Gar. _Trust me_." She implored as she gently massaged his head, paying no mind to the blood she was getting all over her delicate hands.  
  
She then heard him release a long and shaky sigh and then suddenly, she started feeling his suppressed emotions gradually becoming more real.  
  
Unfortunately, she was allowed only a moment to become acclimated before the nausea hit her like a truck.  
  
His emotions suddenly became horribly strong and violent, he lost his grip and was now rapidly slipping out of control.  
  
_Fuck._  
  
Through the haze of emotions, she saw him arch his back and dig his newly formed claws into the wooden floor below. She could have sworn she heard him cry out in pain, but her senses were too messed up for her to properly register anything.  
  
She immediately focused all of her energy towards him and with a deep inhale, she began digging into his emotions, thoughts, and memories in search of his alter ego.  
  
Everything happened in what felt like a blink of an eye. Her ears began to ring violently as a throbbing pain enveloped her head. The world began to spin, and just like that, everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's chapter 11! I had actually written it quite some time ago, but I like to take time to revise my chapters and reconsider the direction the story is going before posting. For this chapter in particular, I spent a lot of time editing, and I even started completely over a couple of times. (Which is a new record for me.)  
> But with all that aside, I finally got it posted. :)  
> I hope you guys are enjoying this story so far! All the kudos and comments you guys are leaving inspire me to keep going, so thank you guys so much. I love you all, and I will see you again really soon for chapter 12! <3


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